"Rishikesh India is considered to be the land where meditation
leads to salvation. Apart from being a spiritual land, the region is a popular adventure destination. River rafting in Rishikesh is one sport that attract adventure lovers from all around the globe. Even the pleasant Rishikesh weather will make you fall in love with the city."

Rishikesh Tourism

One of the holiest cities in India, Rishikesh is not just known for
its religious connection but also for its beautiful landscape and also the Rishikesh rafting.
Surrounded by hills (the Lesser Himalayas) on three sides and holy
Ganga river flowing through it, Rishikesh is an ethereal experience.
Rishikesh is the gateway to famous Chardham which are Kedarnath,
Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri. In fact Rishikesh is a favourite of
those coming to meditate and seek salvation. It is believed that
meditation on the land of this holy place leads to salvation. Every
year many people come here in the ashrams to meditate and gain peace
of mind. The place is also very famous with foreigners who come to
India in search of spiritual quest. Rishikesh is famous for its
ashrams on the banks of Ganga, at many such ashrams yoga is practiced
and taught regularly. Such is the feeling of Rishikesh that even
Beatles could not escape from the magical experience. They had visited
India in 1960 to pay visit to their Guru in Rishikesh.

The Romantic Weather In Rishikesh

The pleasant and romantic weather of the city can make anyone fall in love with it. That is why more and more travelers come here to seek solace and also to feel their adrenalin rush. What else works here
is Rishikesh altitude (1360 metres). It is higher than
other holy cities of Haridwar and Varanasi, the water in Ganga here is
cooler and cleaner. The flow of the river is stronger here and the
city is less populated than others. Rishikesh temperature is more calmer and peaceful
here. It is such a beauty, the water gushing from the Himalayas, the
banks dotted with ashrams and temples (both ancient and recent) and a
hilly landscape in the background of all this, Rishikesh is truly
amazing.

Every inch of place is sacred here in Rishikesh. The banks of Ganga
in Rishikesh are dotted with ancient temples and ashrams for which Rishikesh is famous for.

Lakshman Jhula

This suspended bridge running from one bank of Ganga to other is the
landmark of the city. It was built in 1939. The legend behind it
states that Lakshman crossed a bridge made of jute ropes here on river
Ganga. The view from the bridge itself is panoramic. The mountains
covered in green belt, the waters flowing below, a cool breeze, all
these together make Lakshman Jhula a great place to visit. You can
also feed the fish in the river below from the bridge itself, the fish
gather at the place where people drop food for them. To take a better
view of the Jhula, one can take a boat ride in the river below, the
scene with Lakshman Jhula in the foreground and green mountains in the
background make a picturesque view and you can also feed the fish
while you are in the boat. Ram Jhula Rishikesh, a similar structure to Lakshman
Jhula is a more recent addition to the city. Also known as Shivanand
Jhula, it connects Shivanand ashram with Swarg ashram.

Triveni Ghat

It is the main bathing ghat in Rishikesh where every morning several
devotees take a dip in the holy waters of Ganga. The Ghat is so named
because it is believed that this is the place of confluence of three
holiest Hindu rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Sarswati. This is the place
where River Ganga takes a complete right angle turn. The most
enchanting experience here is that of the evening aarti. Scores of
devotees stand on the steps of the ghat at this time. The priests
perform the rituals, the golden flames come out of large pure ghee
lamps (being rotated in set circular motions), vedic chants fill the
air in praise of goddess of River Ganga and the conchs in the temples
on the Ghat fill the air with their sound. The spiritualness in the
air mesmerises one beyond expression and no matter what religion the
people on the ghat belong to, their soul cannot remain untouched by
this. What follows is even more spectacular. Turning the waters into
golden, people float leaf boats into the river with flowers and lamps
burning in them. Eyes follow these lamps as they go with the flow of
the river. This small ceremony of ownership symbolizes hope,
remembrance and wishes for future.

Nilkanth Mahadeo Temple

At a height of approximately 5500 feet is the famous temple of
Nilkanth Mahdeo. It is situated at a hill top above Swarg ashram.
Legend goes that this was the place where lord Shiva had drank venom
which had come out from churning the sea. After drinking it, his neck
had turned blue with the poison and hence he was called 'Neelkanth',
the one with blue neck. To visit this most revered temple of
Rishikesh, jeeps are available from Lakshman Jhula. Every year in the
months of monsoon - mid July to August - fairs are held here. There is
also a fresh water spring within temple complex where people take bath
before paying a visit to the temple.

Bharat Temple

This is the oldest temple in Rishikesh built by Adiguru
Shankaracharya in 12th century. Dedicated to Bharat, younger brother
of Lord Ram, it is situated in the old town near Triveni Ghat. Details
about temple are available in ancient records of Kearkhand. The
original temple was destroyed by Tamur during his invasion in 1398.
However, many important things are well preserved till date here. In
the inner sanctum there is an idol of Lord Vishnu carved out of a
single Saligram (the divine stone of Mahavishnu). There is also a
Shriyantra placed on the canopy above that was places here by Adi
Shankaracharya. Recent excavations have revealed more about the rich
history of the temple. Old statues, coins, pots and other things have
been discovered from the premises of the temple.

Kailash Niketan Temple

Crossing Lakshman Jhula, the main temple you will see is Kailash
Niketan Temple. It is a 13 storey structure slightly different from
regular temples. The temple has sculptures of all the gods and
goddesses.

Spiritual Centres

Gita Bhavan

Crossing Lakshman Jhula is the famous Gita Ashram that was set up in
1950's. It is famous for its depicted walls. Paintings, statues,
scenes from the epics Mahabharata and Ramayana adorn the ashram walls.
A free ayurvedic dispensary is run here, and a branch of Gita press
Gorakhpur is also here. You can also buy bedsheets, cotton sarees from
here. Pravachans, keertans are a regular affair in the ashram, one can
enjoy bhakti sangeet here in the evenings. The complex also has some
hundred rooms for accommodation for pilgrims.

Swarg Ashram

The place is bustling with activity all the time. Ashrams, temples,
shops, restaurants, eating joints, all these ensure that the place is
always active. Many statues adorn this one of the oldest ashrams in
Rishikesh founded by Swami Vishuddhananda popularly known as 'Kali
kamli wale'. The spiritual air of the soul pacifies one and all.

Shivanand Ashram : The Divine Life Society

A doctor by profession, Swami Shivanand renounced his life in Delhi
and came to Rishikesh in 1924. He set up Divine Life Society in 1936
here. He wrote some 200 books on yoga, health and spiritual life
before he died in 1963. The ashram organises regular yoga classes, one
can pursue from here studies in texts like Upanishads and Gita. The
place has many other ashrams where pilgrims can stay and participate
in the activities like yoga, pravachans, bhakti sangeet and other
ashram activities. Parmarth Ashram near Ram jhoola runs a traditional
Indian school. Ved Niketan runs yoga and meditation classes regularly.
Located in the forests near the banks of Ganga, this ashram has the
best location. Another ashram in Tapovan area is Sacha Vedic Sansthan.
This ashram is also high on religious and spiritual activity chart.

Rishikesh In India - Excursions

Chila

Twenty kilometres from Rishikesh is Chila, covered by thick forests.
A reservoir here is fed by River Ganga near which one can see many
animals. Chila has been declared as a wildlife sanctuary by
government.

Narendra Nagar

It is a historical town15 kilometres from Rishikesh which was set up
by King of Tehri, Narendra Singh. It has a sfew archaeological
structures, the most notable being the Royal Palace.

Rishikesh is sometimes called the yoga capital of the world. A
considerable number of tourists come here every year for yoga,
meditation, spiritual growth. Its ashrams are famous for their calm
and conducive environment for yoga, the spiritualness in the air
further evokes one. There are many ashrams here, some more famous than
others. Though the basics of yoga remain the same but the difference
lies with the teachers here, their teaching styles and the facilities
in the ashrams like accommodation, library etc. The 'Yoga Study
Centre' on the Haridwar road has a senior Iyengar teacher as its
'coach'. Brahmcharya Rudradev conducts yoga classes here and the
routine is rather stern. Many foreigner and Indian students come to
study Yoga here. Classes are organised three times a year for twenty
days. 'Yoga Niketan Ashram' near Shivanand ashram and 'Sri Ved Niketan
Ashram' are also quite popular for yoga. Rishikesh also has an
International Yoga festival here in the first week of February every
year.

Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam organises river rafting courses near
Rishikesh in Kaudilya. Set among the thick forests, the place is ideal
for river rafting, as the water gushes down from an altitude of 480
metres. Besides there are also trained professionals here and river
rafting courses are conducted. Many river rafters come to Rishikesh
every year for river rafting. One can also indulge in gentle canoeing
here in Rishikesh. Trekking trips are organised from Rishikesh to
Binsar and Rishikesh to Gopeshwar. Otherwise also people take small
treks from Rishikesh to upper ranges of Himalayas. A perfect destination to click lots of Rishikesh photos to carry as a sweet memory with you.

Shopping

There are no big markets or souvenir shops or gift centres here in
Rishikesh since it is essentially a pilgrimage destination. But there
are many shops selling handicrafts here. You will see scores of shops
in rows displaying handicrafts made of beads, sea shells, pearls etc.
There are also some reputed shops selling sarees, bed covers, handloom
fabric and cotton fabric. There is a government approved handloom
shop, khadi bhandar, Garhwal wool and craft shop where you can shop to
ensure reliability of quality.

Rishikesh Getting There

By Air

The nearest Rishikesh airport is Jolly Grant airport on route
to Dehradun, 18 kilometres from here. Indian airlines connect Dehradun
to Delhi, some chartered planes also operate from here.

By Rail

Rishikesh is well connected with other major cities through
railways. There are trains for Delhi, Kolkatta, Lucknow, Varanasi,
Dehradun, Haridwar and other cities.

By Road

To commute within Rishikesh there are tongas, taxis and rickshaws
available. Whereas from other cities and states buses are operated by
state transport corporations and private operators (deluxe, semi
deluxe coaches) are available for Rishikesh. Apart from that one can
also hire private vehicles to get there. For more info Rishikesh map will help you.

Rishikesh Hotels

As far as staying is concerned there are many good options available here according to your pocket. Here are few of them.